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City hall rookies 2010: Mary Fragedakis, Ward 29

In a perfect world, Mary Fragedakis would be somewhere tropical right now, relaxing on a beach, reading a book and sipping a cocktail.

If only.

The Canadian-born daughter of Greek immigrants is in rain-soaked Toronto, wrapping up her business and taking calls from constituents who think she’s already taken over as their councillor.

“It’s been so busy,” Fragedakis said in an interview. “There is so much to do before I start at City Hall on Dec. 1.”

Fragedakis, 39, defeated former councillor Jane Pitfield to fill the Ward 29 seat left open by retiring Case Ootes. A lifelong resident of the Danforth area, she earned a master’s degree in political science from the University of Toronto before starting a business with a friend nine years ago. In 2008, she took home a small-business award from the city.

Starting the business, which organized conferences and seminars, was a turning point in her life, she said.

“It changed my perspective of things,” she recalled. “I went from being an employee to being an employer. We survived so many things: SARS, economic crisis ... I also realized that the bigger you are, the more you are able to do for others.”

In nine years as co-owner of the business, Fragedakis also became a community advocate for youth and the environment. Getting into politics felt like a natural step.

Though she was the last in her ward to file papers, she says the presence of Pitfield — who represented Don Valley West before mounting a spirited, if doomed, mayoral challenge to David Miller back in 2006 — didn’t worry her. “She isn’t from this community,” said Fragedakis. “I knew the community and I had worked hard. I knocked on every door at least. When I started the second round, people pretty much told me I had their vote.”

But she admits she was relieved when the results came in on the evening of Oct. 25. “I was happy, very happy. We had campaigned for eight long months.”

She sounds as happy as those words, but there’s a tinge of sadness because she’s also giving up her business.

“It was my life,” Fragedakis said. “But it’ll be hectic at the city hall and it won’t be fair to anyone if I kept my business too. I want to be there for everyone.”

Fragedakis, who captured NDP leader Jack Layton’s endorsement, wants to lobby the province to pick up a bigger part of the bill for transit and fight for a larger piece of the federal gas tax.

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